The Honda FR-V was a good six-seat vehicle refreshed at the wrong time on the market.
But the Japanese carmaker couldn’t predict that.

Due to the world financial crisis from 2008-2012, the car industry dropped, and some well-known brands disappeared or barely survived being taken-over by some other companies. Honda already had the FR-V on the market since 2004, and it was planned for a refresh in 2007. The wheels were turning, and there was nothing to stop it.

For the 2007 model year, Honda prepared a set of modifications to the vehicle. The front bumper featured a more aggressive design, with an aerodynamically profiled grille and side-scoops. Its headlights sported clear lenses. In the back, the carmaker installed new taillights with yellow turn-signals. Apart from these bumpers-lights changes, Honda installed new door handles as well.

Inside, there were minor changes to the trims. Honda changed the previously used carbon-fiber look trims to wood-trims. For the infotainment unit, the carmaker installed an aux-in port for external devices such as an MP3-player.

The real change came for the drivetrain, where the Japanese carmaker introduced the 1.8-liter engine from the Civic range. It replaced the previously used 1.7-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline units without losing too much power when. It was available with either a 6-speed manual or the robotized 5-speed i-Shift gearbox, with an automated clutch. But the sales were still low, and the range was ditched in 2011.